Holy Angels Gears Up For 1st Fish Fry Of Season

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Kitchens across the area were busy this morning with people prepping for their annual fish fry.

The fish fry sign is up out front, but Holy Angels in Hays doesn’t have to do much advertising.

Over the past 28 years, the parish has earned a reputation for its famous fish sandwiches and dinners, which are all prepared by a team of hard-working volunteers.

“It’s been crazy. We have about 120 volunteers and it’s organized chaos at times,” David Depretis said.

“It’s a real blessing for the church because so many people are willing to volunteer their time and they are very generous in giving of their time to put this on every year,” Father Bob Ahlin said.

From ordering and prepping the fish, the buns, and all the sides, there is a lot to do.

Especially for the first fry of the season because volunteers are expecting a big crowd.

“We really do think we put out a good product and I think that’s why people come here because they like it and they come from all over. It’s not just our own parishioners that come, they travel far and wide,” Cindy Depretis said.

Like so many in the area, this fish fry has grown so much over the years. Originally, the church sold just about a couple hundred pounds of fish. Now, they sell about 2,000 pounds.

“I personally, I’ve tasted other fish, ours is the best,” David Depretis said.

Albert Burnelis of the South Side agrees and he was the first customer in line today.

“I’ve been coming here for years. Theirs are the best I’ve had so far in my life, so we come here all the time,” Burnelis said.

Burnelis said besides the taste, Holy Angels also offers the most bang for your buck.

“They put two big pieces on each sandwich. I’m surprised, and when we get the dinners, you’ve got we’ll say two dinners in each dinner. So, it’s really good and it’s very reasonable,” Burnelis said.